Language:

Wolof Spanish

Genre:

Salsa

On the Internet
Article about singer Pape Seck
Music samples
More music samples

Biography

From the outset Africando is the project of musician and star producer Ibrahim Sylla. Salsa has been a hugely popular style in Senegal since the 1940-50s, and his goal has been to cultivate the tradition from the African side of the Atlantic. Ibrahim Sylla himself has a collection of over 6000(!) Cuban disks. Through his interest in Salsa he became acquainted with the Salsa Musique Company in Paris, and became fascinated with disk production. He co-produced Youssou N’Dour’s/Etoiles de Dakar’s album “Absa Gueye” and thereafter pursued his own solo production career. In the course of his production work he came into contact with studio music in the USA and came up with the idea of uniting salsa rhythms from both sides of the Atlantic, mainly based on the African tradition. There has been a steady turnover in the group over the years since Africando was formed in 1990, but central from the start was Boncana Maiga from Mali, still a driving force, who in the 1980s played with the New York-based group Fania All Stars. Another founding artist in Africando’s first year was the late singer, Pape Seck.

Relevant artists:
Orchestra Baobab
Pape Fall

AFRICANDO  
Melodie/1993

Africando is a meeting between four of West Africa’s most important salsa musicians and pioneers within Afro-Cuban music. They come from various ethnic groups and countries: Pape Seck, Medoune Jalow and Nicholas Menheim from Senegal, Boncana Maiga from Mali.
In the 1960s and early 70s Latin American Salsa and Rumba were the hottest dance music in Senegal and a large part of Africa. Musicians at that time used also to sing in Spanish - as a tribute to the musical form’s roots -but that was more by luck than management, if you know what I mean? Since those days African music has found its own roots and created new AFRICAN musical forms, not least in Senegal where people like Youssou N’Dour and Thione Seck are still developing and stretching these roots, if in different directions. But the Latino sound has become part of today’s musicians’ roots, and it’s good that it’s become so important that Senegalese singers work together on such a project, under the direction of Mali’s brilliant arranger and “kapelmeister”, Boncana Maiga. He worked for nine years in Cuba and clearly knows what he is doing. And it’s not only him; the musicians here have obviously crossed the pond for, when the trumpeter’s name is Hector Bomberito Zarzuela, one knows it is not just the music that is Cuban! The singers here are among Senegal’s most gifted vocalists with backing from Star Band, Orchestra Baobab and Youssou N’Dour’s Super Etoile. The result is glimmering salsa, in fact, and I especially feel that Pape Seck’s armoured voice plays perfectly up against the music’s perfect sound, creating a driving Latino dance mood, full to the brim with the best from Cuba and Colombia. That all this is in addition to the unstoppable Ibrahim Sylla’s production shouldn’t shock you. Just enjoy these guys’ polished and over- exaggerated sound, for Sylla has clearly made sure that Senor Maiga had everything under control and let him do his stuff. A glittering album!

Arne Berg

SABADOR
Melodie/1994

GOMBO SALSA
Melodie/1996

BALOBA
Sterns Africa/1998

MANDALI  
Sterns Africa/Sonodisc/2000

If you’re going to buy a disk that boasts Latino dance music this year let it be this one! You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it - this is pure gold! Ibrahim Sylla takes this way to unite a list of African vocalists with Africando’s salsa rhythms. This as in the starting point became an airborne and outstanding project has been a sterling disk. The production is exclusive, select; the brass riffs are razor sharp, and the arrangements elegant and varied. Who could have imagined that for example Salif Keita's old standby “N’Toman” could become such a sweeping salsa song? Or that Koffi Olomide would be such a smashing salsa singer? The one hit after the other trills out from this album. I feel the absolute best is the contribution by Thione Seck, Orchestre Baobab’s old vocalist; his voice brings tears to my eyes. This is great!

AFRICANDO LIVE
Sterns Africa/Sonodisc/2001

MARTINA
Sterns Africa/Sonodisc/2003

KETUKUBA  
Sterns Africa/2006

Africando is back! Their seventh album "Ketukuba" is a tribute to the late Gnonnas Pedro from Benin, who sang with Africando from 1996 until he died in 2004.
Africando has always been one of producer Ibrahima Sylla's favorite projects. This is probably the reason why this band always sounds so fresh and inspired, whatever lineup. "Ketukuba" has all the usual qualities of earlier Africando albums: Good voices, razor sharp brass section and irrestible songs. As an old fan, I especially enjoy Sekouba Bambino's strong and warm voice on this album. But also Amadou Ballaké and Madilu System contribute to this top disc.
The songs are mostly traditional salsa tunes, but on "Ketukuba" you'll also find related stuff like rumba and "manding salsa", heavily influenced by Manding culture from Guinea/Mali, sung by Sekouba Bambino. If you ask me, "Viens danser sur le son Africando" is the best track on the album, really contributing to Africando's unique sound and position. Much the same could be said about the song "Fatalikou" in a slow guajara style, sung in Wolof by Basse Sarr. Beautiful.
Oh yes, this is a great album. It doesn't wear out either. I've been playing it about thirty times for the last two weeks!

Startpage    Artists, search    Articles and interviews    Links   

Design: Idar Lind
English: Katherine Stewart-Kreisman
Swahili: Francis Chagula (francis.chagula@malvik.kommune.no)
Swahili: Habiba Rajabu (habiba@online.no)
Flags: 3Dflags.com

This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit here.